ASU Basketball: 2019 NCAA Tournament Roundtable

What Will ASU Need to Do to Advance in the Tournament?

Now that the bracket is formed, everyone is 0-0. For ASU, that resumes the opportunity to play loose.

Opponents will know the Sun Devils’ identity, their go-to players and weaker tendencies. But gameplans often take care of themselves. To succeed in March, consistent execution is needed for 40-minute periods.

ASU can do this, as seen in wins against Kansas, Utah State and Washington. Defending and making the extra pass is important, but so is living the moment without overthinking. That is what brought the Sun Devils to their minimum against Princeton and Washington State. – TB 

Easier said than done, but a team-first approach is the key to success for ASU.

Hurley has a bevy of options to carry the scoring load on a nightly basis as shown throughout the season. Five players have notched a 20-point game this year (Dort, Edwards, Martin, Cheatham, Lawrence) while all three guards have eclipsed 28 points in a single contest.

ASU won on the night each player scored his season-high. But, on several occasions, the Sun Devils became over-reliant on the hot hand late in games. As a result, low-percentage shots were too frequent a commodity as were missed opportunities to put games away.

We’ve seen this team put together cohesive showings before in wins over Mississippi State and Kansas, and it will need to do so again to advance.– ZP

Despite the low seed, ASU is still an athletic, talented squad. When all the talent comes together, the Sun Devils are a tough nut for anyone to crack.

When they play at their full potential, Zylan Cheatham and Luguentz Dort combine for one of the most athletic duos in the “Conference of Champions.” As two of the catalysts, the Sun Devils are substantially more dangerous when they set the tone earlier. – CF 

Keep on keepin’ on. ASU must continue to do what has carried them through the last six games of their season — put the ball in the hands of Martin and Cheatham at the point of attack and rely on a stout defensive presence to wear down their opponents.

ASU is an athletically gifted team capable of matching up with almost any roster in the tournament. Getting deflections, rebounds and letting it loose in transition are the keys to a prolonged run in this year’s tournament. – RG

To put it simply, ASU needs to play to its full potential. They have shown that they are capable of going on big runs to close out good teams like Oregon at home. In contrast, they go through spurts where it is hard to imagine their offense being any worse, like against Princeton.

With wins over Kansas, Mississippi State, and Utah State, there is no question this team has the talent to compete in the NCAA Tournament. The question is if it’ll be ready to play 40 minutes, potentially seven times. – BW